1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an assembly combining a light device and a support stand or pillar and, more particularly refers to a combination of a tubular flexible light-emitting device and a support or mounting pillar, the combination being preferably applicable to decorative purposes, to delimiting of walking areas, to rescuing activities, signaling, underwater works, boating, towing works, and any other activity wherein a luminous or lighting visible tubular member, such as a rope, cord or cable may be useful for such work, preferably at night, in dark areas, either on land, air and water areas.
According to particular and desired applications the light device may be used alone or in combination with the mounting pillar, however, in towing activities and rescuing, for example, the pillar may be not necessary. The tubular lighting device is made of water resistant and tension resistant materials which make the device capable of being subject to high stresses thus preventing the same and any light emitter arranged within the device from being damaged.
It is to be remarked that the device of the invention is very important for a proper viewing of dangerous and restricted areas wherein the access to persons must be restrained. In other areas, however, the present device and combination is very useful such as in decorative applications, delimiting walking ways, for assisting people to form queues to buying of tickets and entering theatres, sports stadiums, cinemas, etc.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known to provide strips and ropes to delimiting of walking ways in movie theatres and other public spectacles in order to restrict the vehicle entrances and walking areas for spectators. These strips are also used by the police to delimit accident areas and while the same may have reflecting colors and color combinations that make the same visible during day hours these strips and ropes need to be illuminated during night hours by means of special powerful lamps, reflectors, warning lights, flashing lamps, etc.
It is also known to provide chains made of plastic links, with opaque or reflective colors which are applied to the same above mentioned uses but, like the cited marking strips, the same must be illuminated to be visible during night hours. In addition, these chains have insufficient stress resistance which causes the same to be only applicable to decorative purposes during light periods.
Transparent plastic tubes and conduits are also known containing in their interior lights for decorative purposes, for Christmas trees and ornaments, for example. These transparent tubes, however, do not comply well with their purpose of providing a visible and continuous light distribution along the entire length of the tube. The several inner lamps provide for a multiplicity of light spaced apart points that make the tube preferable applicable to decorative purposes but not useful for warning and other activities. Particularly in connection with delimiting large areas, towing works and rescuing, the stress resistance of these conventional tubes is very deficient to comply with the severe safety requirements of these functions.
It is to be remarked that the plastic materials from which the above tubes and conduits are made have no proper molecular orientation and therefore they do not have the desired stress tensile resistance, thus the polymeric tubular element housing the lamps is not resistant enough to be subject to tensile stresses and, In the practice, the tubes are plastically stretched thus transmitting this stretching to the inner lamps and conductors which are broken under this stress.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,179 discloses an indoor/outdoor light decoration assembly comprising a number of light strings which are housed in transparent tubular holders. Each tubular holder has a plurality of axially oriented ribs for outwardly shedding the light produced by the inner light string.
Each tubular holder is supported by means of a tubular fixing mount and a pointed ground fixing member. The light strings are connected to a power supply by means of electrical connectors which are located outside the ground fixing member.
Thus, said light decoration assembly has a tubular sheath showing a stress resistance inadequate for light-emitting devices suitable for delimiting public areas for warning purposes. Moreover, said light decoration assembly has electrical connectors which are not protected and are not safe from danger.
Briefly, the strips, chains, tubes and ropes used in hotels, public spectacles, movie theatres, pedestrian ways, construction areas, etc., are visible only during natural light hours, namely in diurnal uses, however they are not visible during the night and need to be illuminated by separate and additional reflectors and lamps. When these strips, chains and ropes are used in highways, roads streets, toll booths, etc., to indicate and delimit dangerous areas, the same may be visible only under the lights of the car approaching the delimited area and may be that the driver, at certain car speed, has not enough time or distance to actuate the brakes and stop the car upon the close warning strips, etc.
In addition to the foregoing some stand devices and supports are known, combined with ropes or extensible strips that are wrapped around an upper head of the stands to delimit walking ways or queues in banks, movie theatres, etc., for guiding the people to the cashiers and ticket sellers. These stands and pillars, however, are not provided with power supplies or electric connectors, and/or light emitters to make the pillars more visible during the night. The pillars neither provide for connection to number displays, signals, electric cleaning devices, vacuum cleaners or any other devices that could be connected to the pillar for a power supply.
It would be therefore convenient to have a light emitting device, a pillar or stand and a combination thereof that would be useful in delimiting areas, walking ways, in performing safety works, etc., not only during natural light hours but also during the night wherein the devices and the combination are translucent and tensile resistant enough for such activities.
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a combination of a light device and a stand, wherein the device comprises an elongated translucent rope housing light emitters and permitting the light from the emitters passing outwardly, uniformly spreading the light along the continuous length of the device to see the device as a warning element, with power supply being provided through the stand to which the device is mounted and connected.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a luminous system having a proper tenacity necessary for activities wherein important tensile stresses are involved. This tenacity and tensile resistance is achieved by using proper manufacturing techniques and materials, by extruding high density polyethylene, or other polymers, monofilaments and multi-filaments, by orienting their molecules through the stretching of the material in a plastic condition to obtain the desired tenacity. The system may be provided in a plurality of desired colors according to the activity to be performed, with safety purposes, for guiding pedestrians and vehicles, as well as for decorative purposes, outdoor or indoor, regardless the intensity of the available light, either natural or artificial.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a combination of a light-emitting tubular device and a support pillar for retaining and electrically connecting the device, the light emitting device comprising a tubular translucent sheath comprising braided filaments and at least one light emitter arranged within the tubular sheath, the combination comprising retaining hooks for retaining the device in the pillar, and a power connector for connecting the device and the pillar and providing power to the light emitter. The invention also relates to a light emitting device and a pillar for mounting the device with purposes of delimiting pedestrians walking areas, performing towing functions, rescuing activities, signaling and the like.
It is even another object of the present invention to provide a combination of a light-emitting tubular device and a support pillar for retaining and electrically connecting the device, wherein the light emitting device comprises a translucent outer sheath comprising braided filaments and a light emitter arranged within the tubular hollow body, and wherein the combination comprises retaining means for retaining the device in the pillar, and power connecting means for connecting the device and the pillar and providing power to the light emitter.
It is even another object of the present invention to provide a light-emitting tubular hollow device comprising a translucent outer sheath comprising braided, woven, knitted or twisted filaments, at least one light emitter arranged within the tubular hollow device, retaining means for retaining the device in a support pillar, and power connecting means for connecting the device and the pillar and providing power to the at least one light emitter, the outer sheath being water proof.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a support pillar for mounting of at least one light-emitting tubular device, the pillar comprising an upper head, a lower base, a hollow body, retaining means at the head of the pillar for retaining the device in the pillar, and power connecting means for connecting the device to the pillar and providing power to the light emitting device.